Quick release assembly for aircraft landing gear

A quick release assembly for an aircraft landing gear strut, the strut having an upper portion and a lower portion that is telescopingly and rotatably movable relative to the upper portion, an upper torque link member has a first end connected to the upper portion, a lower torque link member has a first end connected to the lower portion, second ends of the torque link members are connected together to prevent relative rotation between the upper and lower portions, comprising:

• a locking pin disposed on a first member wherein the first member is one of the upper portion, the upper torque link member, the lower torque link member or the lower portion;
• and
• a cooperating structure disposed on a second member wherein the second member is another of the upper portion, the upper torque link member, the lower torque link member or the lower portion;
• and wherein the locking pin is axially urged toward an engaged position wherein the locking pin cooperates with the cooperating structure of the second member when the locking pin and the cooperating structure are aligned to connect the first and second members together, the locking pin axially movable against the urging from the engaged position to a disengaged position to disconnect the first and second members;
• and further wherein the locking in includes a handle portion, a stationary cap fixed to the first member, a slider tube that slides inside the stationary cap and together with the handle portion between the engaged position and the disengaged position, and a spring that axially urges the locking pin toward the engaged position, the spring interposed between a head portion of the handle portion and a radial flange of the slider tube, and received radially within an annular space defined by an annular wall portion of the slider tube.

An aircraft landing gear assembly, comprising:

• an upper portion;
• a lower portion telescopingly and rotatably movable relative to the upper portion;
• an upper link having a first end connected to the upper portion and a second end;
• a lower torque link having a first end connected to the lower portion and a second end, the second ends of the upper and lower torque links connected together to prevent relative rotation between the upper and lower portions;
• and
• a quick release assembly connecting one of the first end of the upper torque link and the upper portion, the first end of the lower torque link and the lower portion, or the second end of the upper torque link and the second end of the lower torque link, the quick release assembly including:
• a pin disposed on one of the first end of the upper torque link, the upper portion, the first end of the lower torque link, the lower portion, the second end of the upper torque link or the second end of the lower torque link,
• the pin slidably movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position with the pin urged toward the engaged position wherein the pin cooperates with a cooperating structure disposed on another of the first end of the upper torque link, the upper portion, the first end of the lower torque link, the lower portion, the second end of the upper torque link or the second end of the lower torque link when the pin is aligned with the cooperating structure, and
• the pin manually movable against the urging to the disengaged position for disconnecting said one of the first end of the upper torque link, the upper portion, the first end of the lower torque link, the lower portion, the second end of the upper torque link or the second end of the lower torque link from said another of the first end of the upper torque link, the upper portion, the first end of the lower torque link, the lower portion, the second end of the upper torque link or the second end of the lower torque link;
• wherein the locking pin includes a handle portion, a stationary cap, a slider tube that slides inside the stationary cap and together with the handle portion between the engaged position and the disengaged position, and a spring that axially urges the locking in toward the engaged position the spring received radially within the slider tube and fully enclosed within the handle portion and the slider tube.